Into the Wild

Distinguished by Life [Numbers 17:1-13]

Today's passage continues God's response to the Israelites' clamoring for new leadership. As God makes His selection clearly known, we get a wonderful picture of God's work through those He calls to Himself. We were originally connected with God as branches on a living tree or vine. In our rebellion (sin), we separated ourselves from Him, so we withered and died. When we confess our sins and place our faith in Jesus alone to make us right with God the Father, He uses what we bring--ourselves. He causes us to fulfill our living function again. May the word of God imbue us with new life to complete the work He enables us to do and to show His goodness and glory to all around us.

Luke

Tassels? [Numbers 15:37-41]

In this section God is giving the Israelites some laws after having been defeated in battle and pursued by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. Tassels? Why laws about tassels? In most of the ancient world, nobles and other high-class people wore tassels. In contrast, all Israelites wore tassels to mark of their status and duties as God’s chosen people. These tassels were a reminder of God’s commandments, a reminder that they were to NOT FOLLOW AFTER THEIR OWN HEARTS, and to be HOLY—that is, SET APART FOR GOD.

Steve Kuzner

The Cost of Rebellion [Numbers 15:32-36]

The Lord gave instructions for unintentional sins yesterday, ending with the reminder that the Israelite who intentionally breaks God’s law “with a high hand” will face the punishment that he justly deserves. Today’s story picks up there, with a man punished for breaking the Sabbath. While this might not seem like a serious sin to us, the original audience would have known this as a deliberate, public show of disobedience and defiance against God.

Monica